Counting Stars
by Pikachuite
Summary: After being defeated by Diantha, Ash decides to enter a competition located a little closer to home, the Kanto Elite four challenge. Utilising the dynamic power of the Electric type, Ash vies to be Kanto's first ever champion. Rewrite of 'The Final Steps: Becoming Kanto Master.'
1. Chapter 1

In reply to **Bijuu vs Jinchuuriki.**

1) 'Mount Coronet is in Sinnoh and not Unova' That was a genuine mistake that can easily be rectified. I meant to say Chargestone Cave instead of Mount Coronet.

2) 'Ash doesn't fear flying' Without sounding rude, it's my fanfiction. Ash could fear Pikachu if I wanted him to. If it means so much I can qualify it.

3) 'Why is he heading to Saffron and not Mount Coronet/Chargestone Cave?' If you read it again, Ash states he needs a 'proper rest'. Never did he say that he wasn't heading to Mount Coronet/Chargestone cave. In you think of it in context, he and his Pokemon have just engaged an extremely strong Electivire and are rightly mentally and physically drained. If you were so close to Saffron and its Pokemon centre, would you not take some time to rest and then travel later?

I understand that not all reviews can be positive, and I thank you for reviewing but please try to be a little more constructive next time.

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><p>The doors to the laboratory beeped and glided apart. Professor Oak reluctantly tore his eyes away from his cluttered jotting pad and towards the entrance, smiling as he identified just who had entered.<p>

A sixteen year old Ash Ketchum strode towards the Pokemon professor, his lips curled into a grin. The boy had grown considerably since his last visit to Pallet; easily breaking the six foot barrier. Despite still possessing a skinny frame, Oak had no doubt that Ash could stand on his own against physically superior opponents. His amber eyes still held their natural warmth, yet the researcher could clearly feel the maturity radiating off the trainer. Above a black tee manufactured out of the highest quality of bug silk, Ash now wore a red and white jacket that sported extremely large collars, light blue jeans were held at his waist by a beige belt. Clipped on this belt was a small magnet, on which four miniature pokeballs were attached. Red converses and fingerless gloves reinforced the simple but appealing outlook Ash now possessed, yet the trainer retained a touch of his youth due to his everlasting pokeball hat and the yellow mouse that happily chittered away on his right shoulder. Slung lazily over his free shoulder was a green backpack, despite its small size relinquishing some storage space, it allowed Ash increased mobility which could be all the difference in such a dangerous world. The Pokemon professor rose to his feet, offering his hand to Ash, who shook it without thought.

"Ash Ketchum! It is a pleasure to see you my boy!"

"Likewise professor!"

Oak motioned for Ash to sit down at his desk, which he did, before the professor sat down on the other side. Oak smiled wryly, "May I reiterate how pleased I am to see you, but what brings a world beater like Ash Ketchum back to humble Pallet?"

Ash chuckled before answering, "Well, after my recent defeat to Diantha. I decided to have a short rest. I've been here almost a fortnight now." Oak nodded, agreeing with Ash's answer before offering his commiserations to the teen. Ash smiled wistfully in reply. He had come so close to becoming Kalos champion, gaining the advantage early on in the battle when Charizard had defeated the corner stone of Diantha's team, Gardevoir, but the woman was not champion in name only. Diantha fought back, the penultimate battle being between her Tyrantrum and Pikachu; Pikachu had little chance of victory. Ash quickly changed the subject, not quite fully over the recent events.

"How's Gary been professor? I haven't seen him in ages."

"Gary has been good. He's dabbled in many different fields since you two last saw each other in Sinnoh. In the end, the pull of Pokemon battling was too much and so he decided to remain a trainer. He's currently on his way to Olivine city as we speak."

Ash had an inkling to why Gary was travelling to Olivine, but decided to ask and confirm his suspicions. "Why's Gary heading to Olivine?"

"Well, I'm sure you've heard of the Kanto Elite Four challenge?"

Ash smirked, "Without sounding rude professor, it's why I'm here." Oak chuckled before feigning mock hurt, "And here I thought you were visiting little old me. Gary's heading to Olivine to attend a conference Jasmine is holding and learn more about his specialised type."

"Specialised type?"

"Let me give you more insight into the Kanto Elite four challenge Ash. As you know, Kanto has always been very disgruntled about having a Johto national represent us. Indigo Plateau decided to finally combat this and created the Kanto Elite four challenge. Contestants advance through the stages by facing the Elite four one by one, before facing Lance in a straight knockout competition. If a trainer defeats both the Elite four and Lance, they have the option to create a Kanto Elite four and become its champion, or alternatively replace Lance. " The professor paused and let Ash process the information before continuing,

"Contestants are only allowed to specialise in one type, Pokemon utilised by contestants require a primary or secondary affinity for their chosen type. As I'm sure you figured out, Gary is heading to Olivine to grasp a greater understanding of the Steel type. Do you have an idea which type you will choose if you enter Ash?"

Ash replied without pause, "Electric."

Oak wasn't surprised and asked Ash if his starter was the major reason behind his decision. "Yes, Pikachu was a major reason for my choice. Even then, if I hadn't of chosen Pikachu as my starter all those years ago, I would still naturally lean towards the Electric type. I think it's the type that is the greatest representation of my battling style, quick and powerful attacks that leave my opponents either incapacitated or counting stars."

"I think it's a good choice, Electric Pokemon are not represented on a global scale and are thus somewhat overlooked by trainers despite their vast versatility. The competition begins June 2017, three years from now at Indigo Plateau, so you have an extremely long period that you can use for preparation. Do you have any other questions?"

"What if more than one challenger defeats the entire Elite four?"

The professor rose to his feet and grabbed a manila envelope from one of the many shelves above his head; he broke the Indigo Plateau seal and took the documents out from inside. Ash waited quietly as the professor inspected the papers.

"Yes, here it is! In the event that more than one trainer defeats all of the Elite four members, a mini tournament will be held and the victor will win the right to challenge Lance."

Ash rose to his feet knowing that his time in Pallet was coming to an end, and once again shook the professor's hand "Thanks for the information professor! You have been a huge help!"

"No problem my boy, happy to help." Ash turned to leave, but the professor called him back.

"I completely forgot Ash; you'll require a mode of transport. Here, you can borrow my Pidgeot for the time being." The professor released the giant bird from its pokeball, attached to its back was a leather mount big enough for two people. Oak and Ash strode outside, with Pidgeot following behind them. Oak asked Ash where he was heading as the teen climbed into the mount and strapped himself and Pikachu in.

"I'm thinking about travelling to Chargestone Cave in Unova. It would be the perfect place to capture and train Electric type Pokemon."

"I think that's a sensible decision. Shouldn't you go say goodbye to Delia first?"

Ash grinned "I said goodbye to mom in advance, truth be told, I was becoming restless, adventure is coded in my DNA professor! And thus I was pretty sure I wouldn't be returning. I'll send you a ticket for my championship match against Lance! Bye!" Oak waved as Pidgeot began to gain altitude, its shape reducing in size as time passed before finally disappearing into the night.

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><p>Ash buried his face into Pidgeot's neck; his hands held Pidgeot's neck feathers in a vice grip, earning countless glares from the bird. Flying was horrible, despite having experienced it before when he had flown on Charizard's back, Ash had always hated it. Pikachu shared his trainers sentiments and had strongly considered entering its dusty pokeball, before deciding to just ride in Ash's backpack instead. Ash constantly told himself to not look down but curiosity laid siege to his mind. Finally relenting, Ash cautiously stared down; they had been travelling for close to seven hours and were currently above Kanto's central hub, Saffron. The city lights below Ash were beautiful, serene almost, if you discounted the fact that if Ash fell he would be reduced to paste. Ash was still watching the warm glow of Saffron as Pidgeot fluctuated in altitude slightly, even then still being enough for Ash to suffer a mini heart attack. He buried his face back into Pidgeot's neck, taking a while to regain his composure and courage before investigating why Pidgeot's altitude had fluctuated. Despite it being extremely dark, Ash could see that Pidgeot was tiring from the erratic and laboured flaps of her wings. He tapped the bird on her neck and told her to land, which the regal bird gladly did. Pidgeot landed in a small clearing on the outskirts of Saffron, her huge form causing the leaves and the docile Rattata in the glade to scatter. Ash dismounted carefully and returned Pidgeot to her pokeball which Oak had given him for some well-deserved rest. Pikachu cautiously popped its head out of the backpack, scanning around to make sure they were not in the air anymore before crawling out.<p>

Ash's fingers moved methodically as he placed traps around the perimeter, the traps would capture or significantly subdue any small pests that tried to snoop around. Pikachu had already released Ash's pop up tent and scurried inside. Ash chucked his backpack into the tent, sighing as the weight was lifted off his shoulders. Taking one last glance around, Ash headed towards the tent.

Crawling inside, Ash opened his backpack and fumbled through its contents, retrieving the items he needed. He chucked some pellets to Pikachu, who gobbled them down greedily. Ash himself nibbled on a piece of seed cake, trying his best to savour it as much as possible. Finally finishing, he chucked a small pillow and blanket on the floor before retrieving a metal baton from his backpack, even if they were close to civilisation in Saffron, you could never be too sure. Ash wriggled underneath the blanket and Pikachu curled into a ball at his covered feet. Both trainer and Pokemon fell into a dreamless sleep.

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><p>Ash awoke from his slumber, his face clammy and his body hair fined out unnaturally. Ash's eyes tried to frantically adjust to the light as he searched for Pikachu. He found his partner still in his previous spot, but something was wrong.<p>

Pikachu crouched on all fours, his ears flattened out and like Ash his hair was as fine as a needle. Pikachu twitched as Ash moved towards him, but remained silent.

"What's wrong Pikachu?" Ash asked as he stroked the Pokemon, more to reassure himself than the mouse. Then Ash heard it, huge footsteps caused the ground to vibrate. Something was approaching, something big. Ash's fingers tightened around his baton.

Out of pure instinct, Ash rolled to the left of the tent as a yellow, furred fist tore through the roof. Pikachu had rolled to the right side of the tent, the fist creating a division between the duo. If Ash had remained in his previous spot his head would have been smashed into tiny fragments, but he refused to dwell on it. He drew back his baton and slammed it ferociously on the creature's fingers, resulting in a loud crunch. A roar echoed around the clearing as the hand retreated for a few seconds before diving back in, the hand clenching onto Ash's arm. Ash screamed as he was lifted like a rag doll out of the tent, dropping his baton in the process. Ash was face to face with the monster, a gigantic Electivire. Its teeth flashed in a malicious smile, its free hand cocking back to unleash the killer blow.

Ash was unceremoniously dropped to the floor as the Electivire hunched over, winded. Pikachu had bum rushed the thunderbolt Pokemon, colliding slap bang with Electivire's stomach. This act had gained Ash a few seconds to retreat, which he quickly did. Pikachu now stood between Ash and the outraged Electivire.

Ash knew Pikachu was at a disadvantage, the small clearing greatly reduced Pikachu's manoeuvrability and Pikachu did not have the core strength to enter a close combat battle with Electivire.

"Pikachu retreat! Infernape!"

Infernape was released from his pokeball in a dazzling array of light, narrowing its eyes at the Electivire who watched it equally cautious. Infernape understood the seriousness of the situation, and that his friends were in grave danger. Both Pokemon circled each other, watching and waiting.

"Infernape! You need to buy Pikachu some time as he charges up!"

Infernape roared before bolting forward, once close enough Infernape swept his legs forward trying to cause the Electivire to lose balance. The Electivire took a step back, narrowly dodging Infernape's sweep. Infernape didn't allow its opponent any respite, bolting forward once again before unleashing a quick jab that connected with the Electivire's cheek. Infernape followed through by driving his armoured knee into Electivire's stomach, causing the giant to drop onto one leg in pain. Electivire's back was now exposed, and Infernape cocked its elbow back in preparation for a strike.

The Electivire grinned as it wrapped its arms around Infernape's legs and pulled them into its body, causing Infernape to lose balance and fall to the ground with a sickening thud. The Electivire slowly stood up; its arms still wrapped around Infernape's thrashing legs. The thunderbolt Pokemon effortlessly lifted Infernape into the air, before slamming Infernape back into the ground.

Ash grimaced at the thud, this wasn't a battle, this was a brawl. Ash looked towards Pikachu; the mouse had nearly finished accumulating enough electricity. Ash just needed Infernape to create a window for an attack.

The Electivire went to repeat the move, once again lifting Infernape effortlessly into the air, but this time Infernape was ready. He drove both his thumbs into Electivire's eye sockets, screaming vengefully as he tried to dig in as deep as possible. The Electivire howled in pain, releasing Infernape and stumbling backwards.

"Now Pikachu!"

Pikachu darted forward, its body surrounded with cackling electricity. Utilising this excess electrical energy, Pikachu bounced off its hind legs and into the air, its skull colliding with Electivire's stomach and sending the thunderbolt Pokemon flying into a nearby Oak tree. Ash quickly threw a pokeball which absorbed the behemoth. The pokeball rattled three times before Ash sighed as a click echoed around the clearing. He picked up the pokeball and attached it to his magnetic clip. All three took huge gulps of breath, the adrenaline beginning to wear off.

"You saved our lives Infernape, thank you so much." Ash said as he walked over to monkey and gave it a hug, Infernape licked its trainers giggling face in reply. "You too Pikachu." Ash made sure to acknowledge his partner's contribution and picked the little mouse up in a warm hug.

"I think we need a proper rest. Let's head to Saffron's Pokemon centre." Ash began retrieving the traps he had laid, finding that many had just been crushed by Electivire's giant feet. Ash retrieved his blanket, baton and pillow and stuffed them into his backpack before throwing it over his shoulder. Ash began to walk towards a gap in the clearing, his eyes ever vigilant, flanked by Infernape and Pikachu.

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><p>Author's note – There you have it, the first chapter of the rewrite. I think the quality of 'The Final Steps: Becoming Kanto Master' and this are poles apart. Anyway, drop a review and I will do my utmost best to release chapter two as soon as possible! Sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors, I tried my best to edit out any mistakes!<p>

Peace,

Pikachuite.


	2. Important

Hi guys,

I know I've been away for quite some time, and I'm sad to say that I will be away for a little longer. Don't worry, in no way am I abandoning the story, I already have ideas for the second chapter which I am in the process of writing, but I have to revise for mock exams which are fast approaching. They require my undivided attention so for now until the end of exams (They start March 2nd and finish March 6th) I am putting this story on a short hiatus.

From Pikachuite.

P.s - Sneak peek ... When I return Ash will be capturing a legendary. Bye! =)


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